HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE ART OF CAESURA!!

Bust out the cake, the blog's four years old!! Four years of posts every single week on The Art of Caesura!!

The blog's birthday is always an amazing time. I've just been taking a little trip down memory lane, looking at the first, second and third birthdays on the blog. For those of you who have been with me for any of those other birthdays, THANK YOU SO MUCH for checking out my little hobby blog. Likewise, to those joining us for the first time this year, welcome, come on in and join in the celebrations!

In the amended words of a great Irish pub song:

"whoever you are, you're one of us,

whoever you are, we'll make a fuss

if you're [a hobbiest], this is the place for you!"

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If there's ever a time for self-indulgence, it's on one's birthday, so let's take a nice self-indulgent look at some of the accomplishments documented on this blog over the past year. And what better way to do that than in infographic format!? (click on the pictures below the infographic for higher res versions that you can actually read!)

Having posted the infographic above, I now realize that it is not very legible on some devices, so I have chopped it up and pasted it below for those affected. 

Let's take a closer look at the blog goals from the infographic above. Last year I wanted to enter a painting competition, and at the time I meant a "live" painting competition. Over the course of the year I found the 2Ps Hobby forum and have entered several of their "digital" painting competitions. I still have yet to podium. This year I'd really like to make the push to enter a "live" painting competition. 

I have re-hashed my goal to continue the blog on a weekly basis. With a young baby this will be a real challenge, but I'm committed!

For 2019 one of my goals was to submit a photo to White Dwarf Magazine. Did I succeed? Well! I didn't just submit 1 photo, but 48! I took them against a white backdrop, using my 'new' phone (which although 5 years newer, frustratingly does not take as crisp shots as my old one). Anyway I got a really nice e-mail back from Dan Harden saying that unfortunately the photo quality wasn't quite there for them to publish in White Dwarf; but he did have some good practical tips. I have since got a daylight bulb, so will give it another go at some point. 

Here's a look at most of the photos I submitted:

My biggest goal for 2020 is to actually play one of the games for which I have been lovingly collecting and painting models. My darling wife has played a lot of games with me (our faves are: The World of Smog: On Her Majesty's Service (because she beats me almost every time!), Bloodbowl, Silver Tower (well...she doesn't love the random enemy spawning element), Hellboy: The Boardgame, and I'm hoping to get us into Warhammer Underworlds and Blackstone Fortress this year). 

But, I would really really love to pit my burgeoning Kharadron Overlords army against someone willing to teach me Age of Sigmar this year - any takers?

2019 Favourite Minis

Now, one of my favourite parts of the birthday post: My 5 favourite miniatures that I have painted in the past year!! As always, this was a really hard process, and this year's list is a controversial one. I just had so many favourites, but here are the five...okay maybe six, that I'm going with:

6) Impending Doom Counter (Hellboy: The Board Game)

I think Hellboy: The Board Game will be featuring heavily in 2020's posts, but of the models that I've painted for it so far, this little token was just so much fun, with nice contrasting textures. The Right Hand of Doom entwined by tentacles - what's not to love!?

5) Sir Daniel Home (The World of Smog: On Her Majesty's Service)

The very first posts on this blog - FOUR YEARS AGO - were for the World of Smog, so it felt great to finally finish all of the models for that game this year. I'm really proud of how most of them turned out, but my favourite has to be the Steampunk Medium, and my vis-a-vis in the game: Sir Daniel Home. This is a model that I actually had to go back and make sure that I actually painted it this past year, because it feels like AGES ago!

4) Long Vøn (Age of Sigmar)

Although I had already painted Brokk, the Arkanauts, and Thunderers by this point, it was only with the Admiral that the story behind my army really started to take form for me. I started to see them more as characters with a story forming around them than just simple miniatures. This story might expand now that I'm delving into the lore of the new battletome, so I'll devote a post to it once I get it straightened out in my head. 

3) Yar Umbra (Necromunda) 

I certainly caught the Necromunda bug this year! With such characterful models, it was very difficult to narrow it down to the one(s) that would make this list. That being said, I was especially happy with how Yar's headswap and darker skin tone turned out.

2) Mad Dog Mono (Necromunda) 

I know this sounds crazy, and it may not come across in the photo, but from a technical perspective, I think this is one of the best models I've painted! From the stippling of the metal on his mask, through his cyclopean eye lens to the weathering on his yellow armour, I just really felt in the zone when I was painting this guy. It was also the last mini I painted before my daughter was born!

1) Thundrik's Profiteers (Warhammer Underworlds)

Now, this may be part of the whole "the latest thing I've worked on is my favourite" syndrome, but these guys have everything I love about Kharadron Overlords...and more! The poses and sculpted bases are just that bit more characterful than the bog-standard variety of Kharadron Overlord that I've been painting. I'm really happy with how they turned out, and, like with the Briar Queen, I think the leader's highlights make him stand out just the right amount without being overdone. 

People's choice

Each year I delight in seeing which mini generated the most interest (views) to the blog. Last year I was surprised to see that it was some of the Necromunda scatter terrain! This year is a model (or three) that I'm much more proud of:

The People's Choice Award goes to Stormsire's Cursebreakers!

But clearly there are some notable omissions from this list! Did I miss your favourite from the year? Was it my Escher gang The Unkindness? What about the exploding Grot Shaman or the crotchety Deserter or Dwarf Lord...Gah! There were too many to choose from! Let me know your favourite in the comments below. 

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So, we've had the retrospective infographic - check, we've had my Top Miniatures and People's Choice Award - check and check. What more would we possibly cram into the birthday post? Why, the celebratory large model of course! 

Each year, the birthday post tends to see me paint my biggest model of the year. Previously we've had The Kraken, then the Great Unclean One and, most recently, last year's Dread Maw. 

This year you better get to the birthday cake quick, one might even say "fly, you fools", otherwise -

YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!

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Well, what a birthday it's been!! Four years old! We'll launch more into the Balrog in the next couple of weeks, but before I turn on all the lights and kick you all out, I have to end with a picture of my daughter...I mean, how could I not!?

If that doesn't kick you in the feels I don't know what would! 

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Thanks so much for joining me in this celebration of The Art of Caesura. It's been 1460 days since I started this blog, or to use a more relatable number, 34 large dog years! So if a large dog was born when I started this blog, it would be older than me now! Okay, I think I'm sliding down the rabbit hole with these analogies. 

I hope you enjoyed the party, see you next week for the afters!

Watching: 1917 - Sam Mendes 

Reading: Kharadron Overlords Battletome 2.0

Listening: Rage of Sigmar Podcast

Next Week:

Back to the shadow...